by Renee Carr
As soon as he got the cell phone out of the evidence locker, he could see that there was a voicemail. That made him panic because he assumed that there would be another delay while they cracked into the phone’s security system and found the password.
However, when he checked it, it turned out there was no password needed.
“I know that you are listening,” said a voice on the other end. “So, listen closely. Your brother’s life is in danger, and if you don’t have enough power, you won’t be able to save him. I want freedom for all shifters. No more dragon overlords. You will release us from our duty to you, or your brother dies. You’d be surprised who is on our side. People very close to you.”
There was crackling on the other end of the phone, and Joshua strained his ears as he heard footsteps and then loud breathing. Right at the end of the message, he heard a voice speak.
“Help,” said the voice, sounding weak. And then the line went dead.
Joshua would know his brother’s voice under any timbre. He immediately took off down the hall. He was torn for a moment in the hallway, before deciding that he wanted to take the message to Leah first.
Leah was in the computer room, and she was frantically typing at the keys in front of her. When she saw Joshua, she stopped, but only for a moment.
“I’ve almost got it,” she said. “I think his bank account is from the Rocun sector, but I can’t be sure.”
“He left a message,” Joshua said, holding the phone up. Leah stopped typing immediately and leaned over as Joshua played the message for her. Her eyes widened as she listened.
“Is that Cory?” she asked.
“It is,” Joshua said. “So whoever that is, whether it’s Remy or not, they have Cory. Everything that Evan is telling us is true.”
“Well, then I guess we just wait,” Leah said. “Because I’m sure this douchebag will call back soon, and when he does, we pounce.”
“You aren’t thinking of going?” Joshua asked, and Leah fixed him with a stare.
“Of course I’m thinking of going,” she said, glaring at him.
“Leah, you haven't been well.”
“I will throw myself off a bridge without wings if you take this away from me,” Leah answered. “First of all, I care about Cory a great deal. Second of all, I’m not letting you plunge headfirst into an emotional mission alone. Your head isn’t clear.”
“My head is fine,” Joshua said. “If anything, it motivates me even more to find this douchebag and destroy him.”
“And third,” Leah said, not done with her explanation. “How often in one’s career do they get a chance to rescue a prince? This mission will go down in history and I’m not sitting it out.”
“Leah,” Joshua said. “You might go down in history too, but for the wrong reasons.”
“Joshua,” she gritted her teeth, “do you think I will be a danger to Cory or yourself?”
“Well,” he said.
“Look, if something happens to me, the only person who I’d be a danger to is myself,” she said. “And any one of us could drop dead at any moment. So you can’t truly say that I would be in the way. And I promise, on my life, if I feel unwell, I will sit back.”
“But if something happens, I can’t....”
“So make me Christine’s responsibility,” Leah rolled her eyes. “You wanted to give her a unique opportunity, didn’t you?”
“Not quite what I had in mind,” Joshua said, but he knew he wasn’t going to win this argument. “Fine. But I swear to Creator, if anything happens to you...”
“Heaven help the being who tries to make anything happen to me,” she answered.
Chapter 12
“The KING AND QUEEN!”
The palace doors blew open to the sound of trumpets and yelling. Upon hearing the fact that Prince Cory was missing, his supporters had gathered at the palace to wait for news. There were wreaths and flowers and candles lit, as well as witches casting an absurd amount of spells. Cory had always been allied with the witches, and there was no shortage of loyalty being shown outside the palace walls. Upon pinning down the location and hearing that Joshua would lead the investigation, even Ivy knew that she had to come home. Her kingdom needed her and as much as she tried to lead a normal life, she knew that she needed to be where she belonged. She always felt like an outcast on Earth, but Knorpp was her home. She still had her hair done up in a tight bun, having done one last show, but she was arm in arm with Nathan, walking through the palace.
Everyone bowed or curtsied, but they were focused on Joshua, who was standing in the middle of the grand hall with his armed guard, completely dressed in full battle uniform.
“Brother,” Joshua greeted Nathan as he walked in. “Ivy.”
“Joshua, be safe,” Nathan said. “These people, these beings...”
“I understand,” Joshua said. “But we know Cory’s life is at stake. We have to pull out all the stops for this one.”
“Remember that Cory has a legion of witches supporting him,” Nathan said. “So he’s not as bad off as you think. They are doing locator spells, they are praying to their Creators, they are sending out search parties.”
“And yet, still he is not home,” Joshua said. “So I guess I have to do it myself.”
“You’re not by yourself,” Leah reminded him, coming to stand beside him as she tightened her arm guard. “Not yet, anyways.”
“Leah, be careful,” Ivy said as the younger women dipped out of courtesy to her queen. “I know that...”
“Nothing is more important than finding the prince,” Leah said. “No matter where the adventure leads.”
“I understand,” Ivy said. “There are few things in my life that matter as much as Cory does.”
“Yes,” Leah said, and then turned to Nathan, who looked like he wanted to say something to her. The king chose his words very carefully.
“Thank you for your service and loyalty to the crown,” Nathan said at last. “If something were to happen... it will not be forgotten.”
“I appreciate it,” Leah said. “But I hope that I will give you no cause to commit me to memory after that.”
After a few more parting words, Nathan turned to the guard unit, addressing them in a booming voice.
“Dragons,” he said. “Oaths you have taken to protect the throne at all costs. As the last heir, Prince Cory’s life matters more than mine or Prince Joshua’s. Your oaths bind you to this throne, at all costs. Bring him home safely to us and you will be heroes.”
The guards cheered, for they were not often addressed by the king. Joshua called them to attention and they immediately formed up. There was time for one last inspection before he deemed them ready, and then they marched out. Since they were a large unit, they were going to march out to a more remote hangar, where they would head to what they thought Remy’s location was. Flying out of the remote hangar meant they were least likely to be tracked, which Joshua was counting on.
“Did you hear what he said to me?” Leah said to Joshua as they marched. She was at the front of the line with him, and she had been bristling ever since they left the palace. “Like he’s certain that I’m going to drop dead.”
“He’s just concerned, Leah,” Joshua said and Leah shook her head.
“That’s not a concern,” she said. “That’s doubt.”
Joshua glanced at her.
“If someone else was in your shoes, would you let them march?”
“No,” she said bluntly. “Because that someone else is not me. They don’t have my strength and my determination. They wouldn’t be positive that everything was going to be fine. And I really don’t want to spend the whole trip discussing it.”
“Fine,” Joshua said. “And I understand, about Nathan. He’s always erred on the side of caution. The idea of death... even of someone who isn’t close to him—it bothers him.”
“I know,” Leah said. “Look, I get it. And I know it comes from a good place. I just... it's still doubt.”
Joshua waved his hand to end the conversation. Out of habit, both of them turned their heads to check that the troops were still in formation behind them.
“They look good,” Leah said, watching them. “You did a good job with them while I stepped away for a few days.”
He chuckled.
“You think that perfect formation is an example of a few days’ work? That’s all your training, Leah. And maybe me yelling at them a few times a week.”
“A few times a day,” she corrected him as they reached the hangar. She turned around again, raising her voice. “Alright, troops, listen up. You are going to squeeze your formation tighter. Please enter two and two. We’ll go from there, and load onto the ships in that formation. Forlorn Hope, you will fully inspect the ships before anyone. And those who are flying beside us,” she indicated the dragon warriors who were known for their impressive speed, “take the left corner to transform. Let’s move out!”
They filed past her, and Joshua gave her a little nudge.
“Good speech,” he said. “Almost like I taught you how to make it.”
“A million years ago,” she answered. “I put my own spin on it, don’t worry.”
Christine came by and paused in front of them, stepping out of line.
“Um...” she said, and Joshua raised an eyebrow. “I was just wondering what ship you’d like me on?”
Leah looked confused.
“The ship that you were assigned to, with the rest of your unit?”
“What ship are you going to be on?” she asked Joshua. Leah was not going to stand for this, especially as everyone walked right past them.
“Christine,” Leah said, her voice low but harsh. “You will attend the ship you are assigned to, with the rest of your unit, and you will do it now, unless you want to stay back.”
Christine’s eyes flickered to Joshua, who didn’t look at her. Defeated, Christine nodded.
“Of course,” she said. “My apologies.”
She slunk off, and only once she was out of earshot did Joshua speak.
“You shouldn’t have spoken to her like that,” he said. “She was just confused.”
“She wasn’t confused,” Leah said. “She wanted to break orders. She wanted everyone to know that she is special. Is that what you want?”
“No,” Joshua said. “Of course not. I just...”
“If you don’t want everyone to know that she is special, then you shouldn’t act like she is,” Leah replied.
Joshua didn’t answer. Instead, he turned around to look at the ships.
“I’ll be on the Flagstaff,” he said. “And you’ll be...”
“I’ll be on the Carcassonne,” she said. “Don’t you try something tricky and get out of formation.”
“I might,” he said, giving her a smile. Their fight, at least for the moment, was forgotten. “If I see something interesting.”
“You drive me mad,” she said as the rest of the troops filed onto the ships. “Just so you know.”
“See you on the other side,” he answered and headed onto his ship. Leah sighed and then marched onto hers, taking the controls. She was a good warrior, but she was also a decent captain. Flying the ship was as close to using her wings as she could get on complicated missions. She liked to remain in control of the ship, so that she could change her plans if needed, without barking orders. Of course, she rarely changed her plans. The plans they made in the palace were often strong, and if she was steering the ship off course, something had gone wrong. Joshua, however, liked to change his plans at a moment’s notice, and it drove her crazy.
“All systems go, Carcassonne,” she said into the radio.
“All systems go, Flagstaff,” came Joshua’s voice. She was surprised to find him in the pilot’s chair, and she hoped he wasn’t going to try something crazy.
“All systems go, Lastours,” came another voice. One by one, the ships checked in.
“Alright, troops,” Leah said, once everyone had checked in. “Let’s do this.”
She started her engine and then was the first out of the hanger. There were dragons blessed with exceptional speed, and they were flying on either side of the fleet, able to scout ahead and return to the ships if anything strange came up on their radar. She made sure they were in the formation she had laid out and then began to set the course on the ship’s computer. They often didn’t set course until they were in the air, in case the ship was compromised.
“Captain,” she spun around to see one of her Forlorn Hope guards standing there. She was surprised because normally, the Forlorn Hope were inside the ship.
“Is everything alright?” she asked.
“It is... except...”
“Except?” she asked. “Out with it, man.”
“It is, except the cafeteria’s empty.”
“Empty?” she repeated. “What do you mean it’s empty?”
“As in, there are no supplies,” he said. “Sorry, I checked it for safety but I didn’t think to do something like open the cupboards. There is no food.”
“WHAT?” she yelled. “How could this happen? We had the ship stocked up. We had...”
“It is only a 12-hour trip,” he said. “No one will starve.”
“No,” she agreed. “But that doesn’t make for the best trip. And it means we are going to have to find grub when we land, which we really don’t have time for.”
“I can see if any of the other ships have some?” the guard suggested. “Maybe ours was just stocked wrong?”
“If they don’t,” Leah said, “it means we have been compromised.”
She reached down to her computer and turned off the course she had set. The ship kept flying and she snapped her fingers at her co-pilot, indicating he should take over. She then deleted the course, just in case there was someone watching them.
“Go and check!” she cried at him, and then went for the radio. She wanted to alert the other ships, and quickly. While he ran off, she pushed the button.
“Joshua,” she said. “Do you have food?”
“I uh... what?” his confused voice came over the radio. “Yes?”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “My ship’s cafeteria is empty. I’ve deleted my course, just in case.”
“Someone go and check the cafeteria,” he ordered as he held the radio button. “Good thinking, Leah.”
“This is not good,” she said grimly. “This could be the start of something and we are already in the air.”
“Have you alerted the other ships?” he asked.
“No,” she said. “Why?”
“You do that,” he said. “I’m going to call back to the palace and see if the ship was supplied by the kitchens. If it was, that means someone has taken it off. If it wasn’t, maybe it was an honest mistake.”
“There are no honest mistakes in warfare,” Leah said. “At least, not ones that end up with everyone surviving.”
“Just hold on,” he said and indicated he would call her back. Leah put her hands on her face and took a deep breath.
This was not the way things were supposed to go. First her body, and now her ship. And in the back of her mind, there was Christine, disobeying orders.
Leah was trying her best to keep it together, but she had a feeling that she was going to snap—and soon.
Chapter 13
Ivy was standing in the kitchen, trying not to drool all over the place. Now that it was just her and Nathan occupying the palace, it appeared that he had told the kitchens they did not need a formal dinner, or breakfast, or lunch. She was trying not to argue with him, but she had managed to mention to him that just because he didn’t want to eat didn’t mean she wanted to starve. She had just gotten through a full workout, to make up for the fact that she wasn’t going to be doing a show that day, and she was ready to turn cannibal.
She knew she had permission to go into the kitchens at any time, but it bothered her that she couldn’t just reach into the fridge and get food like she did at home.
<
br /> “We can make you anything you desire, madame,” the cook said. “You just have to tell us what you desire.”
“I desire anything that is quick and easy,” Ivy said. “So what can you make? Can I have an apple? Do you have a banana? A whole pizza?”
“Uh, no, we don’t have any of those...”
Suddenly in front of them, a red phone rang. The cook stared at it, confused.
“What is it?” Ivy asked.
“Well, that’s the royal phone,” he said. “But you’re standing right here.”
She arched an eyebrow.
“Maybe it’s my husband calling?” she asked. “Or maybe Cory has strolled back into the palace and is desperate for some lunch? Perhaps you could answer it?”
“Of course, Madame,” the cook said, and Ivy rolled her eyes, wondering how this man kept his job. He picked up the phone.
“Royal kitchens, hello... what? No, of course, we supplied the Carcassonne... yes, sir, I promise we did. I know because I walked the food on there myself... and Lastours, yes. I wasn’t sure which ship you’d be on... no, I... hello?”
Ivy’s eyes narrowed as she heard the name of the ship that Joshua has taken.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“It’s nothing, Your Majesty,” he said, although she could tell that something was very wrong. “It’s nothing...”
“When I ask you a question, you will answer me, please,” Ivy said. “WHAT IS IT? Is Prince Joshua alright?”
“Oh yes,” the cook said. “It’s just... it seems that he is missing some of the food supplies for his mission... or rather, two out of the four ships are missing food. But I know that they were supplied because I did it myself.”
Ivy suddenly didn’t care about her own food anymore.
“And now there’s nothing there?”
“Not as far as I can tell...” he looked positively distraught at this notion. “How could this have happened? I’m terribly sorry. Now...”
“Forget my meal,” she said. “I have to find Nathan.”
“Oh, please don’t tell him,” the cook pleaded. “I’ll be fired and...”
